Raymond G. Farmer was appointed by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to serve as Director for the South Carolina Department of Insurance on November 13, 2012. With more than 40 years’ experience, Farmer earned his bachelor’s degree in insurance from the University of Southern Mississippi and earned his law degree from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School.

Farmer served as the Deputy Insurance Commissioner of the Enforcement Division for the Georgia Department of Insurance and more recently as vice president for the American Insurance Association. As a part of his service, Farmer has served for more than 30 years on the board of directors of the Georgia Arson Control Program, an organization aiding firefighters and prosecutors combating arson. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and a member of the Tort and Insurance Practice section, as well as the Workers’ Compensation section.

In 2012, Farmer was awarded the Herman Hass Award by the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia for service to the insurance industry. Also in 2012, he received a Presidential Citation for Outstanding Service to the insurance industry from the Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia. Recently, Farmer received the 2014 Industry Person of the Year from the Independent Agents and Brokers of South Carolina.

Farmer is a native of Atlanta, and he and his wife, Gayle, have two children and five grandchildren.